


The Marauders and the Sanders

by under_the_blue_moonlight



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: And that does not mean driving while intoxicated, Asexual Logic | Logan Sanders, Bisexual Remus Lupin, DWI, F/M, Gay Roman, It ain't 1974, M/M, Marauders' Era, Modernised, Multi, Pansexual Patton, Pansexual Sirius Black, Wizarding World isn’t quite up to date with LGBTQ+, gay virgil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-05-17 18:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14836922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/under_the_blue_moonlight/pseuds/under_the_blue_moonlight
Summary: When five transfer students from Ilvermorny arrive at Hogwarts, friendships are forged and enemies are made, not to mention a whole lot of hijinks ensues. What else is gonna happen when Hogwarts greatest pranksters befriend a theatre geek, an emo nightmare, a jam-loving nerd and a punny dad-friend?





	1. Transfer students

‘Ugh, when’s the sorting gonna finish already... I’m hungry.’

‘Padfoot, be patient. Anyway, they’re on the last couple of people.’

Sirius Black rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh. He just wanted to eat. Was that too much to ask?! Not to mention that after the sorting ceremony, Dumbledore would waste about five more minutes going over rules they already knew, and they would inevitably break.

He watched as the final first year had the hat placed onto their head, which yelled out, ‘Hufflepuff!’ Now, it would be just a few more minutes until-

The door of the Great Hall suddenly opened, and five more students walked in. They were all Sirius’ age. The first to come in was striding confidently, a look of pride on his face. He had tanned skin, auburn hair that he’d dyed red and green eyes. He was the tallest of the students to walk in.

The second had blonde curly hair dyed blue. He wore a pair of round glasses over his light blue eyes and was looking around the hall with a look of excitement and joy. He was around average height.

The third had black hair dyed dark blue. He wore the rectangular glasses, and was the shortest of the new arrivals. His eyes were dark blue and he was looking around the room with an indifferent yet slightly curious expression.

The fourth had black hair dyed purple. His hair was styled in bangs which hung in front of his purple eyes, which were lined with black eyeshadow. He was the second tallest. He was keeping his head down, trying to desperately not make eye contact.

The last to come in kept his distance from the other four. He had brown hair and was eyeing the students in the hall, and was the second shortest. But what stood out was his face. The left half of it was like that of a snake’s. His left eye was yellow with a slit pupil to match.

‘Creepy...’ James Potter remarked as he saw the last one.

‘Ilvermorny...’ Remus Lupin mumbled.

‘Huh?’ Peter Pettigrew asked.

‘The robes their wearing, they’re Ilvermorny robes,’ Remus clarified.

‘What’re they doing in Hogwarts?’ Sirius questioned.

‘No idea,’ Remus shrugged.

The five new students made their way to the front. It was only now the four boys at the Gryffindor table noticed that McGonagall had not moved from her position at the front, still holding the magical hat. She raised the parchment with names of new students and read another.

‘Sanders, Deceit.’

The snake faced boy stepped forward. He sat down on the stool and the hat barely touched his head before it yelled, ‘Slytherin!’

McGonagall waved her wand and the snake boy, Deceit’s robes transformed from Ilvermorny robes to Slytherin ones.

‘Sanders, Logan.’

The short boy with glasses stepped forward. He took a seat and the hat was placed down. There was a moment of silence before it yelled, ‘Ravenclaw!’

Logan’s robes were transformed into Ravenclaw ones and he made his way over to the corresponding table.

‘Sanders, Patton.’

The light blue-eyed boy with glasses practically ran to the stool. Once he was sat down, he started bouncing on the seat. The hat was placed down and yelled, ‘Hufflepuff!’

‘Sanders, Roman.’

The green-eyed boy walked up to the stool, confidence practically oozing off of him. The hat hadn’t even properly been placed on his head before it yelled, ‘Gryffindor!’

Roman hopped off he seat and made his way to the back of the Gryffindor table. It was the only place with free seats, and just so happened to be right next to the four Marauders. Roman took a seat next to James.

The final student. ‘Sanders, Virgil.’

The eyeshadow kid took a deep breath before stepping forward. He was visibly shaking as the sorting hat was placed on his head. Everyone waited... and waited... and waited...

‘Five minutes. It’s a hat stall,’ Remus sighed.

‘A what?’ Roman asked. Hearing his voice, the Marauders could hear a very noticeable American accent.

‘A hat stall. It’s when a sorting takes more than five minutes,’ Remus explained.

‘Sorting at Ilvermorny was so much simpler. The Thunderbird statue didn’t waste any time in calling to me. But it did take five minutes until it called to Virgil... I guess he’s just difficult. Anyway, my name’s Roman. Pleasure to meet you.’

‘You too. I’m James. This is Sirius, Remus and Peter, better known as the Marauders. We’re only some of the greatest pranksters in the entire school.’

‘Greatest pranksters? More like greatest twats,’ Lily Evans remarked from where she was sat further down the table.

‘That’s Lily, James’ crush,’ Peter introduced.

‘Dude!’ James slapped his friend lightly on the shoulder.

‘She’s pretty. I can see why you like her,’ Roman commented. ‘Not my type though.’

‘Well, Prongs, at least you don’t have to worry about competition,’ Sirius said, checking his watch. Seven minutes and Virgil was still being sorted.

‘Prongs?’ Roman questioned.

‘Oh, it’s James’ nickname. We all have them,’ Remus explained. ‘I’m Moony, Sirius is Padfoot and Peter is Wormtail.’

‘Nicknames, huh? That’s not a bad idea... We should do that,’ Roman mumbled to himself.

‘Gryffindor!’ the sorting hat suddenly yelled. The Marauders started applauding. Roman, however, just stared agape.

‘No way!’ he gasped. ‘I thought for sure he’d be in Slytherin!’

Virgil looked shocked as well. He seemed frozen to the stool until he finally stood and made his way to the Gryffindor table. He sat opposite Roman and next to Remus.

‘I thought for sure you’d be in Slytherin,’ Roman repeated.

‘Why?’ Virgil asked.

‘Well, you’re the dark, sinister one of the four of us,’ Roman shrugged.

‘But that’s not actually what qualifies a Slytherin,’ Remus cut in. ‘They’re known for being ambitious, cunning, strong leaders. Not necessarily evil or dark.’

‘But what about that dark wizard gaining power in this country?’ Roman questioned. ‘He was a Slytherin! What’s his name again...? Oh, Volde- ’

‘Ssh!’ Peter immediately cut across. ‘Don’t say his name!’

‘Why not?’

‘People reckon it’s cursed,’ James replied.

‘Back to the subject of the qualifications for a Slytherin, that’s not me,’ Virgil shrugged.

‘Ye- No...’ Roman realised. ‘Hm... What the heckity heck? Five abs and one peck.’

‘What was that?’ Sirius asked.

‘Just a little something I like to say when I’m confused so I’m not alone in my confusion,’ Roman explained. ‘See, it works. Virgil is not a Slytherin. But there’s no way you can be a Gryffindor. You’re definitely not brave, chivalrous and determined. Maybe Ravenclaw...?’

‘I’m a problem identifier, not a problem solver,’ Virgil replied.

‘Well, then you should be in Hufflepuff.’

‘I’m not that hardworking,’ Virgil shrugged.

‘You’re modest,’ Roman suggested.

‘Less modest, more self-deprecating. I’m also not impartial. I am always bringing up the cons to anything you guys talk about. And I am hardly patient.’

‘But now we’re out of houses!’ Roman sighed. ‘What, do you just not correspond to any of them?’

‘Well, that hat did say it had no idea where to put me. It asked me where I wanted to go, I said I didn’t know, as long as it wasn’t Slytherin. I didn’t want to be stuck in dorm with that snake.’ Virgil nodded his head toward the Slytherin table, specifically towards Deceit. ‘The next thing I knew, the hat yelled Gryffindor. I don’t know why.’

There was a moment of silence.

‘You gonna introduce us?’ James asked Roman, finally breaking it.

‘Oh, right. This is Virgil. Virg, this is James, Sirius, Remus and Peter,’ Roman introduced.

‘Otherwise known as the Marauders, the greatest pranksters in all of school history!’ Sirius added. ‘You may have heard of some of our achievements: the ice rink corridors of Christmas, 2015. Or maybe the End of Year whole school hair dye of 2017.’

‘I haven’t, but I am intrigued,’ Virgil replied.

‘Shouldn’t we be listening to Dumbledore?’ Roman asked.

‘I thought the same thing, then I remembered that every single one of the rules he’s currently saying will inevitably be broken by us by the end of the month,’ Remus explained.

‘Sounds about right,’ James nodded.

‘As a final announcement,’ Dumbledore raised his voice, drawing the attention of the Marauders and the two Gryffindor Sanders to him. ‘As you have all noticed, we have five new students here for their fourth year. They are transfers from Ilvermorny, the wizardry school of America. Please make them feel welcome. For now, it is time for the feast!’

Food appeared on the plates in front of them. The Marauders immediately dug in as Roman and Virgil gazed at the food in amazement.

‘It’s official: I love this school,’ Roman grinned.

The six spent a few minutes in silence, munching on food, until Peter finally broke it.

‘So, are the five of you brothers, or is it just a coincidence that you have the same last name?’

‘It’s a coincidence,’ Roman replied. ‘It’s actually the reason the four of us were drawn to each other to become friends.’

‘You mean Patton thought it was cool and befriended us all individually before forcing us to all hang out together, despite the fact all of us had extremely different personalities, and apart from me and you, different houses,’ Virgil corrected. ‘I remember, you hated me back then.’

‘I wouldn’t say I _hated_ you...’

‘Surly Temple, Charlie Frown, Robert Downer Junior, Marilyn Monrose, My Chemically Imbalanced Romance, Panic! At The Everywhere, Emo Nightmare, Hot Mess, Creepy Cookie, Wet Blanket, Negative Nancy, Jerky McJerkface, Dr Gloom, Count Woe-laf, Brad Pitiful, Jack Smellington and Incredible Sulk are just some of the nicknames you used for me,’ Virgil listed.

‘Any chance you could write some of those down?’ Sirius asked. ‘We could use some new taunts for Snivellus.’

‘Snivellus?’ Roman inquired.

‘Severus Snape. Slytherin, and my arch nemesis,’ James explained.

‘Snape likes Lily, James likes Lily, James and Snape hate each other,’ Remus explained.

‘I also hate him because he’s a dick to my friend,’ Sirius added.

‘I hate him because he makes racist and discriminatory comments to get on the good side of some other Slytherins who are also racist assholes,’ Remus added.

‘And I hate him because these guys told me to,’ Peter finished.

‘Which one is he?’ Roman asked, eyeing the Slytherin table.

‘The one with greasy hair, a large nose and black eyes,’ James clarified.

‘You mean the one who’s currently talking to Deceit?’ Roman pointed out.

‘Yep.’

‘It’s official,’ Virgil growled. ‘I hate him as well if he’s talking to the snake.’

‘What’s that guys deal, anyway?’ Sirius asked. ‘What’s with his face? And why do you hate him so much?’

‘We don’t know what’s with his face. He has a habit of lying, and whenever he’s asked about it, he gives a different story. Told me his father was a basilisk when I asked,’ Roman replied. ‘It’s why he got the nickname Deceit. No one knows his real name.’

‘As for why we hate him, we all have our own stories. Mine happened in first year,’ Virgil explained. ‘I suffer from severe anxiety, and that sort of prevented me from making friends at school. Patton was the only one to show me any sign of friendship, however I was put off from hanging out with him, Roman and Logan for multiple reasons: it felt like Patton was only doing it out of pity, Sir Sing A Lot here couldn’t go five minutes without insulting me, and I was terrified that I’d do something wrong. I thought I’d mess up and say or do the wrong thing, and they’d all hate me, and tell everyone what I did until the entire school hated me...’

Virgil fists had clenched, his nails digging into his palms, his knuckles white.

‘Try to calm down, Virg,’ Roman attempted to help. ‘Breath in for four seconds, hold for seven, breath out for four.’

Virgil did so and his grip relaxed.

‘It’s okay,’ Remus reassured. ‘I know what it’s like. I had really bad anxiety in first year too. I tried to avoid people, spent all my time alone in the library. Took these guys a long time to coax me out of my shell. Things do get better, trust me.’

‘Thanks,’ Virgil nodded. ‘Back to the story. I met Deceit during our first Potions lesson. Thunderbirds and Horned Serpents had the class together. Roman pared with Logan, and I had no idea who to work with. This snake faced guy in Horned Serpent robes came up to me, and offered to work with me, introducing himself as Deceit. I agreed, not knowing what else to do. We talked as we worked together on the potion, and he seemed pretty cool. We made plans to meet later in the library. After the lesson, however, Logan came up to me, asking to talk in private. We went to an empty corridor, and he told me I couldn’t trust Deceit, that he was a horrible person. I asked why he was bad and where he got the opinion from, but he said he couldn’t tell me. I began to think that maybe, like Roman, Logan didn’t like me and was trying to sabotage a possible friendship. So, I ignored him and continued to meet up with Deceit.

‘I didn’t notice at first what the snake was doing to me. I didn’t realised he was feeding into my anxiety, making it worse. He told me I couldn’t trust anyone except him. Whenever Patton tried to reach out to me, Deceit told me that, if I accepted Patton’s request, I’d eventually just get ditched. He said no one could ever truly understand me, no one except him would ever like me for who I really was. He told me that “who I really was” was a dark, evil person who existed to bring others pain and fear. I never realised the truth until... until...’

‘Until the performance,’ Roman finished for his friend. ‘I’ve always had a passion for theatre, so back at Ilvermorny, I started a drama club. As well as many other random students, Patton joined and roped in Logan. I didn’t understand why at first, but Deceit joined as well, and brought Virgil with him. Deceit’s intentions became clear, however, the opening night.

‘We were doing a performance of the no-maj musical Heathers. I was to play Heather Chandler, Patton was Heather McNamara, Logan was Heather Duke, Virgil was Veronica and Deceit was JD. When the time came for the scene in which JD and Veronica poison Heather C, Deceit put actual bleach in the cup. He tried to kill me _for real_. I was lucky the school nurse arrived in time. However, Deceit had hidden all proof that he was the one to put bleach in the cup, and he got away with it.’

‘Funnily enough, that made me realise the truth about Deceit,’ Virgil continued. ‘I went to Patton, apologised for everything, and he forgave me and gave me a second chance. I also apologised to Logan for not listening to him, and he forgave me as well. Roman was still weary, which was understandable, I’d been friends with a guy who tried to kill him. I stopped hanging out with Deceit, and found that after, my mental health improved significantly.

‘And that’s the story,’ he finished.

‘It was technically mine as well,’ Roman added.

‘Merlin’s beard, he’s worse than Snivellus...’ James gasped.

‘What about Patton and Logan? What were their stories?’ Sirius asked.

‘Patton doesn’t really _hate_ him. I think it’s impossible for that little puffball to truly hate anybody, but he does dislike him thanks to what he did to us,’ Roman explained.

‘As for Logan, he still refuses to tell us why he always had that distrust for Deceit,’ Virgil added. ‘It’s a mystery.’

The desserts before the boys disappeared from the plates, the tables now clear. Dumbledore once again stood.

‘Before you go off to bed, one last reminder of the most important rules, in case anyone was not paying attention before...’ His eyes wandered to the Marauders, Roman and Virgil. ‘The forest on the edge of the grounds is strictly forbidden. Students are not permitted to be out of bed after hours. Finally, the Whomping Willow, that was planted on the grounds three years ago, is very dangerous. It is important to keep a safe distance at all times.

‘Well, now I think it is time to go to bed. Prefects, please lead the first years to their dormitories.’

The students of Hogwarts began getting to their feet. As the Marauders and the two Gryffindor Sanders began to make their way to the door, they stopped by someone calling to them.

‘Roman! Virgil!’

The six students turned to see Patton and Logan making their way towards them.

‘You’re so lucky, you’re in the same house again!’ Patton said as they reached their friends.

‘Well, at least none of us are in the same house as Deceit,’ Logan replied. ‘It is comforting to know I no longer have to share a dormitory with him.’

‘Things did turn out fabulously,’ Roman nodded. ‘Oh, Patton, Logan, these are our new friends.’

‘New friends? That was fast!’ Patton grinned. ‘Hi! It’s nice to meet ya!’

‘Salutations,’ Logan greeted.

The four Marauders introduced themselves.

‘Hey, I have an idea,’ Sirius said. ‘We should meet up later tonight to get to know each other better. Head to the seventh floor, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, midnight.’

‘As nifty as getting to know each other sounds,’ Patton cut in, ‘isn’t being out of bed that late against the rules?’

‘Yeah, but the thing is about us, we aren’t ones for following the rules,’ James explained.

‘What if we get caught? Surely there’ll be staff wandering in the corridors, patrolling so as to catch any students breaking the rules,’ Logan pointed out. ‘Because if that’s the case, the chances of us getting away with sneaking out are infinitesimal.’

‘I don’t know what that means,’ Sirius admitted.

‘The chances of us getting away with it are extremely small,’ Logan clarified.

‘I think you’ll find we have our ways. Trust us when we say, there’s no way we’ll be caught. We’ve snuck out loads of time,’ Remus reassured.

‘But what if...’ Virgil began.

‘Virg, I’m sure it’ll be fine. These four seem like they know what they’re doing,’ Roman reassured as well.

‘If we head back to the dorm, we can show you a few Marauders secrets that may make you feel a bit better,’ James explained.

‘In the meantime, we should probably head to our dormitories,’ Logan turned to Patton.

‘Yeah. Oh, one last question, is this gonna be a pyjama party thing?’ Patton asked. ‘And should I bring snacks?’

‘Yes to both!’ Peter nodded.

‘Sounds good! It was nice to meet you all! See ya later!’ Patton waved as he and Logan separated, following the others in their houses.

The Marauders showed Roman and Virgil the way to the common room. Roman immediately fell in love with the place, while Virgil grew uneasy. The two of them being the strange American transfers with bright pigmented hair, one of which got the first hat stall in three years, gained them a lot of stares from other students. Remus noticed Virgil’s nervousness and suggested they headed to the dorms.

‘Um, Roman and I don’t know what dorms we’re in yet,’ Virgil pointed out.

‘Oh, right. Yo, Ryan!’ Sirius called out.

A seventh year Gryffindor with a Head Boy badge pinned to his chest came over to the six fourth years at the sound of his name.

‘You know what dorm these two are in?’ James asked.

‘Let me see...’ Ryan looked over the sheet of parchment in his hand. ‘You're Roman and Virgil Sanders, right?’

‘Correct,’ Roman nodded.

‘Well, all the fourth year dormitories are currently full. However, there’s one with only four people in, not the usual five. It says that two extra beds have been squeezed in there,’ Ryan explained.

‘That’s our dorm!’ Peter pointed out.

‘Come on then, roomies, let us show you to the Marauder Mansion!’ Sirius announced.

The six boys headed up the staircase, Virgil feeling immense relief at getting away from the prying eyes of the other Gryffindors. As they reached the door to the dorm, both Roman and Virgil raised an eyebrow. The door had four signs stuck to it. There was a ‘Deer X-ing’ sign, a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign, a ‘Wolf Habitat Area’ sign and a ‘Rat Warning’ sign. Apparently, the two Sanders weren’t going to get an explanation for the signs as James just pushed open the door, not even commenting on them.

The dorm itself was cosy and seemed slightly larger to the Marauders than it had previous years.

‘They probably used an enlargement charm to make room for the extra beds,’ Remus said as he sat on the edge of his bed.

‘Okay, let’s get in our PJs, and then we shall share some secrets,’ James said.

The six boys all got into their pyjamas. James had a red t-shirt and snitch pattern trousers, Sirius had plain red pyjamas, Remus had plain blue and Peter had blue and white striped pyjamas. Roman had a white tank top and red trousers, and Virgil had a long sleeved purple top and black trousers.

‘First secret is an item that has been passed down my family for generations. It was my dad’s before, and now it’s mine.’ James reached into his trunk and pulled out a thin, sliver cloak. He stood and wrapped it over his shoulders and pulled up the hood. He disappeared. ‘My invisibility cloak!’

‘Whoa!’ Roman’s eyes practically sparkled in amazement and wonder.

‘Think of all the social interaction I could have avoided if I owned one of those,’ Virgil mumbled to himself.

‘Secret number two is something we worked together to make ourselves. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s main function works perfectly,’ Remus explained as James pulled the cloak off himself and Sirius reached into his trunk.

Sirius pulled out his wand and a seemingly blank, folded piece of parchment. He tapped the parchment with his wand. ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.’

The parchment stayed blank. Well, that’s what Roman and Virgil thought until Sirius unfolded it, revealing a map of the school. There were also footsteps moving through the drawn corridors, each with a label, saying who it was. Roman could see Patton wandering around the Hufflepuff common room, probably trying to make friends with as many people as he could. Virgil could see Logan sat in a dorm in Ravenclaw tower, most likely reading.

‘The Marauders Map. It shows where everyone is in Hogwarts in current time. Perfect for avoiding teachers and enemies,’ Sirius explained.

‘We still haven’t decided on a cover design. Whenever one of us has pitched something, the rest of us have vetoed it,’ Remus added. ‘We’re also trying to experiment using enchantments that will make the map display personalised messages if a person tries to look at it using the “revelio” charm.’

‘That’s incredible,’ Roman marvelled.

‘Guys, it’s almost midnight, and it looks like Logan and Patton are leaving their common rooms,’ Virgil pointed out on the map.

‘You’re right,’ James nodded. ‘Come on, everyone under the cloak!’

And so, the six of them, huddled underneath the concealing fabric, tiptoed downstairs, through the common room and out of the portrait hole.

‘Filch is patrolling the first floor, Mrs Norris is on the third,’ Sirius whispered, analysing the map. ‘We should be good.’

The group of Gryffindors began creeping down the corridors and staircases, heading to the seventh floor.


	2. Songs, Schemes and Sexuality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friendships are forged as the Marauders and the Sanders meet in the Room of Requirement.

As they entered said corridor on the seventh floor, the six Gryffindors saw Patton and Logan waiting for them, standing by the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, as Sirius had said. The four Marauders had to try not to laugh at the sight of the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw because of what they were wearing. Patton was in a grey cat onesie and Logan was in a white and blue unicorn onesie, with a blue striped tie around his neck. Patton was also carrying a large bag.

James pulled the cloak off the six of them after Sirius checked the map to make sure it was safe.

‘Nice pyjamas,’ Sirius remarked, drawing the attention of the other two boys to them.

‘Is... is that an invisibility cloak?’ Logan asked.

‘Yep. It’s mine, my dad gave it to me,’ James explained.

‘Wow, that’s so cool!’ Patton marvelled.

‘Question: Why did you request to meet in the middle of a random corridor, a place that is out in the open where teachers can easily find us?’ Logan asked.

‘We’re not staying out here, we’re going into a room,’ Peter replied.

‘Uh... there are no rooms in this corridor,’ Virgil pointed out, looking around.

‘That’s the thing about the room in question. It only appears when you need it most,’ Sirius explained.

As he finished his sentence, something began happening to the wall opposite the tapestry. It started shifting and changing until it was no longer just a plain wall. There was a door there. Remus turned and pushed open the door.

‘This is the Room of Requirement,’ he explained, stepping inside. ‘We found it in our second year. If you are in need of something, it materialises for you. It can create anything. Well, except food.’

‘Good thing I brought some then!’ Patton smiled as him and the others followed Remus inside.

The room had taken a form not too dissimilar to the Gryffindor common room. It had sofas and armchairs, positioned around a coffee table, in front of a fire. There were a few additions as well. One of the walls was a bookshelf, filled with a huge variety of novels. There was also a small kitchen in the corner, and behind one of the sofas was a basket of blankets and pillows.

‘Catering to our every need,’ Sirius sighed, looking around the room fondly. ‘So many good memories... This place became a broom closet the first time I ever made out with a girl...’

Patton made his way to the kitchen. He placed the bag on the counter and started to unload the snacks he’d brought. Logan headed over to the bookshelves, browsing the novels. Virgil grabbed a black and purple blanket from the basket as Roman grabbed a red one. He also tossed some over to the Marauders, who had collapsed into chairs.

‘What snacks did you bring, Pat?’ Virgil asked as he wrapped his blanket over his shoulders.

‘Cold pizza, chips, candy, cookies, chocolate, Crofters...’

‘Chocolate?’ Remus repeated.

‘Crofters?’ Logan repeated.

In the blink of an eye, the two nerds were at the counter, peering into the bag of snacks. Patton laughed, reaching into the bag. He passed Remus a large bar of Cadbury’s chocolate, and Remus thanked the other boy before tearing it open and taking a bite. Patton reached back into the bag.

‘Lo, we‘ve got strawberry, raspberry and blueberry. Which do you want?’ Patton asked.

‘I’ll start with blueberry,’ Logan replied.

Patton pulled a jar from the bag and grabbed a spoon from the cutlery drawer, passing both to Logan. The boy in the unicorn onesie pulled the lid of the jar and practically devoured the jam inside.

‘Please excuse our logical friend, here. While I understand that Crofters is a pretty finger-licking fruit spread, he has a borderline obsession,’ Roman explained.

‘It’s fine. Moony isn’t much better.’ Peter gestured to Remus, who had demolished the chocolate bar and was now licking the wrapper.

‘Moony?’ Virgil questioned.

‘It’s his nickname,’ James replied. ‘We all have them. Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and Wormtail.’ He pointed to each of them respectively.

‘That reminds me! I think us four should come up with nicknames,’ Roman said to his four namesakes.

‘That’s an amazing idea!’ Patton grinned. ‘What better way to signify our friendship than having nicknames?’

‘Oh, yeah, because all dying our hair bright colours wasn’t enough,’ Virgil rolled his eyes. ‘You know I was nervous about that because of what people would think. We’re already the new American kids with weirdly coloured hair, I don’t want to add “who call each other strange names” to the list. And, anyway, I think Princey over here already has enough nicknames for me.’

‘I love it!’

‘What?’

‘Princey! The perfect nickname for me!’ Roman grinned. ‘It references my love of Disney, my dramatic flair, and my general knowledge that I’m better than all of you.’

‘Great,’ Virgil sighed, sarcasm seeping from his voice.

‘What about the rest of us?’ Patton asked. ‘What nicknames should we have?’

‘Well, if Roman has based his off his main characteristics, then it makes sense we do the same,’ Logan replied.

‘Okay, so, Nerd, Dad and Emo Nightmare?’ Roman replied.

‘Nerd seems a bit harsh. Also, while, yes, Patton is definitely a dad-friend, calling him “Dad” just sounds slightly weird,’ Virgil countered. ‘Okay, not slightly, very. Also, I’m not going by one of your stupid old names for me, Roman.’

‘It’s Princey now, thank you very much!’

‘Oh, oh, I know!’ Patton was practically jumping up and down. ‘It’s from parents that you learn what’s right and wrong. And I think it’s safe to say I keep all our morals in check. So, how about my nickname be Morality?’

‘Excellent!’ Roman smiled. ‘How about, since Logan always seems to look for the most logical course of action in most situations, his nickname could be Logic.’

‘That does sound adequate,’ Logan nodded.

‘What about me?’ Virgil asked.

‘...Emo Nightmare?’

Virgil raised an eyebrow at his fellow Gryffindor. ‘I’d rather go by “Anxiety” than one of your stupid taunts.’

‘...Anxiety works,’ Roman shrugged.

Virgil sighed. ‘Fine. My nickname’s Anxiety. Fuck it.’

Patton let out a gasp. ‘Language!’

‘If you’re hanging out with us, you’re going to have to get used to swearing,’ Sirius replied. ‘Especially Moony. He may seem like the goody-two-shoes, but you would not believe the filth that spews from his mouth.’

‘You’re one to talk, Padfoot,’ Remus replied, halfway through his second chocolate bar. ‘Didn’t you yell “fuck” in the middle of Transfiguration last year when you dropped your pencil?’

‘That was you!’ Sirius corrected. ‘You just told McGonagall it was me after she heard you, landing me in detention, you little shit.’

‘Yeah. That was hilarious,’ Remus nodded, smirking at the memory.

‘It still surprises me you’re so sensitive about cursing, Pat- I mean, Morality,’ Virgil turned to the boy in the cat onesie. ‘I mean, you had to swear yourself when we did Heathers.’

‘That was for a role, I will allow the exception,’ Patton replied as he came and sat next to Logan on a sofa, munching on pizza.

‘OH! OH!’ Roman suddenly sat up straight, slapping the arm of the soft chair he was in. ‘I have an amazing idea! New school, new life, new show!’

‘Explain?’ James asked.

‘I’m going to restart the drama club! With less plots of murder and deception this time!’ Roman explained. ‘The question is: what show? Hmm...’ He paused for a moment. ‘Someone, hum a note! Whatever song I start singing will be the musical we do.’

There was a pause before Remus hummed a note. Immediately, Roman sang in response.

‘ _You wi-i-i-i-i-i-ill_

_Be more chill!_

‘I guess we’re doing Be More Chill.’

‘Why do you keep saying we?’ Virgil asked.

‘Duh. Because all seven of you are going to audition. Right?’ Roman looked between the others.

‘Of course!’ Patton smiled.

‘Why not?’ James shrugged.

‘Usually I save my talents for the shower, but I guess I can bring them to the stage,’ Sirius nodded.

‘Um...’ Remus, Logan and Virgil all stared at their feet.

Roman sighed. ‘What’s the issue?’

‘I do not like to sing,’ Logan replied.

‘Performing, singing and dancing in front of an audience is fucking terrifying,’ Virgil responded.

‘I’ve never sung in front of anyone before. I’m probably not any good,’ Remus explained.

‘Come on! Anxiety, you played Veronica when we did Heathers, this should be fine,’ Roman begged.

‘Yeah, but then I had Deceit manipulating me. I never would have done that of my own accord,’ Virgil replied.

‘But you’re really good, Virge!’ Patton encouraged. ‘And, Lo, you are too when you actually try.’

‘I never said I didn’t think I was any good, I said I don’t like it,’ Logan corrected.

‘Pretty sure I heard you singing a song about Crofters in the shower when we went round Patton’s for a couple weeks during summer,’ Virgil replied.

‘Crofters is an amazing thing and deserves to be praised, okay?!’ Logan yelled. ‘It just brings out that side of me.’

Roman sighed. ‘Look, one of the roles is a literal supercomputer. An AI, a robot. If do well enough to get a main role, it’ll be that. Deal?’

Logan thought about it for a moment. ‘Deal.’

‘I guess I’ll do it if I have an ensemble role, not a main one,’ Virgil shrugged.

‘Well, um... I guess it’s worth a shot,’ Remus muttered. ‘I mean, I might be good?’

Peter was the only one to have not agreed to audition. When the others turned to him, he shook his head.

‘I can’t sing at all. I’m tone deaf,’ he insisted.

‘I’m sure you’re not that bad!’ Roman encouraged.

Peter responded by singing. Well, less singing, more screeching.

‘Oh... okay,’ Roman nodded. ‘I see...’

‘What exactly is this musical about?’ Sirius asked.

‘It’s incredible!’ Roman grinned. ‘It’s about this boy called Jeremy who’s a huge geek and has a hopeless crush on a girl called Christine. He only has one friend, a 90s obsessed dork called Michael. One day, the school bully Rich tells him about this thing called a SQUIP, a pill sized supercomputer that, when ingested, tells you how to be cool. Jeremy gets one, and the musical tells the story of how his life changes after getting the SQUIP. However, it is not all it’s cracked up to be.’

‘Sounds cool,’ James nodded. ‘There’s just one problem. I’m not sure anyone in this school is very... musical. Most clubs and things are magic related, and I doubt many people would willingly take part in a more non-magic club. Especially if it’s a muggle show, as there are quite a few racists in the school.’

‘Well, for people who want to do magic or don’t like the music and acting things, we’ll need people backstage to organise the props, the sets, the costumes, the lighting, etcetera. And who wants racists to be part of it anyway?’ Roman paused. ‘But if you are still worried about people not wanting to join, I think I know just how to convince them: we show them a hint of what it’ll be like!’

Before any of the other could say a word, Roman pulled out his wand and flicked it at Patton, Logan, Virgil and himself, muttering a spell. Suddenly, the outfits they were all wearing changed. Roman was in a red blazer, black skirt with a white checked pattern and knee length red and black socks. Patton was in a yellow blazer, blue skirt and yellow knee high socks. Logan was in a blue blazer, black shirt and blue knee length socks. Finally, Virgil was in a purple blazer, black skirt and purple knee length socks.

‘Wow,’ Sirius grinned. ‘Nice outfits.’

‘Why the hell are we in our Heathers costumes?!’ Virgil growled, feeling extremely self-conscious.

‘I thought that we could perform a couple of songs to the school to show the high quality of our performances and how amazing it will be to take part in one!’ Roman explained. ‘I’m thinking Beautiful, Candy Store and Dead Girl Walking.’

‘Dead Girl Walking?!’ Virgil’s eyes widened. ‘You mean the one where I have to pretend to fuck Deceit?!’

‘Wait, what?!’ the four Marauders gasped at the same time.

‘Just be glad I didn’t choose Blue. That would be even worse,’ Roman replied to his anxious friend.

‘I cannot do this. No fucking way,’ Virgil shook his head. ‘And, anyway, even if I I was comfortable with... that, we don’t have an ensemble, Martha, Ram and Kurt for Beautiful.’

‘Don’t we?’ Roman gestured to the four Marauders. ‘And as for JD, there’s no way I’d let Deceit be him. One of these guys could play him as well.’ He turned to the Marauders. ‘Which one of you would be the most comfortable pretending to fuck Anxiety?’

There was a moment of silence as the four Gryffindors shared glances.

‘Just cut the song,’ Virgil insisted. ‘We only just met, it would be weird for them to do that.’

 ‘Ugh, fine!’ Roman groaned. ‘Okay, Prongs, you can be Kurt, Padfoot, you can be Ram. That leaves Wormtail as Martha, and I guess, Moony, since you’re uncomfortable with performing and singing solo, you can be an ensemble character. Let’s get rehearsing!’

The room created a stage, which Roman immediately stepped on. He waved his wand at the Marauders, and their outfits changed. Remus had a stereotypical ‘nerd’ costume. James and Sirius had red and white letterman jackets and jeans. Peter had a pink unicorn jumper and jeans.

‘Here you go: the lyrics for Beautiful, and Candy Store for you Wormtail.’ Roman handed sheets of paper to each of the Marauders. ‘While you're reading through those, let’s see if us four have still got it!’

Patton hopped onto the stage, Logan and Virgil following. Roman waved his wand one last time, and music started.

‘Are we gonna have a problem? You got a bone to pick? We’ve come so far, why now are you pulling on my dick?! I’d normally slap your face off, and everyone here could watch. But I’m feeling nice. Here’s some advice, listen up, biotch!’

The next few hours were rehearsing and practicing. The Sanders certainly still had it, Candy Store was pretty much perfect. The only thing that went wrong was Peter messing up his timing, but after a bit, he had nailed it. Beautiful took a bit longer to work out, but they managed to get that down after a while. When they’d ran through it all a few times, the stage disappeared and the eight of them collapsed onto the sofas.

‘I have to admit, that was a lot of fun,’ Remus grinned, already eating another chocolate bar. ‘Maybe I will audition for Be More Chill.’

‘When are we going to give the announcement of the production?’ James asked.

‘Probably tomorrow at dinner,’ Roman replied. ‘The sooner we get it off the ground, the more time we have for rehearsing.’

‘Awesome,’ Sirius nodded. ‘So... what now?’

‘I know,’ James spoke up. ‘You’ve introduced us to a Sanders thing, why don’t we do some Marauders activities now?’

‘What sort of activities?’ Logan inquired, eating a second jar of Crofters.

‘PRANKS!’ all four Marauders yelled in unison.

‘And, since you guys are new, the teachers will have no reason to suspect you. It’s perfect!’ Sirius grinned. ‘Think of the potential...’

‘Oh, I know!’ Patton bounced in his seat. ‘How about we put an enchantment on the school so that every time someone speaks bad about themselves here, they’re showered in confetti and a note with a compliment written on it appears in their hand!’

‘Yeah... those aren’t really the sort of pranks we do,’ James replied. ‘Ours are more like setting a baby dragon loose in the Slytherin’s dorms so it burns all their robes.’

‘Ah, sweet memories of first year...’ Sirius sighed. ‘We were really lucky to come across that egg.’

‘Not to mention, if we did that prank, Morality, I’d be getting one of those notes every five seconds,’ Virgil said.

‘I have an idea,’ Logan spoke up.

‘You? The Microsoft Nerd? An idea for a prank?’ Roman rose an eyebrow.

‘If I did a bit of research, I should be able to create a charm that causes people to have a voice in their heads that narrates their every action. I imagine it would get rather irritating after a while,’ Logan explained.

‘That’s perfect, Logic!’ James grinned. ‘Narrating people’s lives!’

‘I can help you with the research. How about we head to the library after lessons tomorrow?’ Remus suggested.

‘That sounds adequate,’ Logan nodded.

‘But how are we supposed to charm the entire school?’ Peter asked.

‘We don’t! We only do it to the Slytherins,’ Roman replied. ‘Everyone will think they’re crazy! It’s perfect...’

‘But what if we get caught?’ Virgil questioned.

‘Then we’d deserve whatever punishment we get. It’s only fair,’ Patton responded.

‘Anyway, we won’t get caught,’ Sirius shrugged. ‘We’ve gotten away with much worse. Remember, we’ve got the cloak and the map.’

‘Map?’ Patton inquired.

‘Oh, right, we never told you about the map, did we?’ Peter remembered.

The Marauders quickly filled in Logan and Patton about the map and it’s function. Meanwhile, Roman turned to Virgil, signalling him to be quiet. Roman stood and wandered behind the sofa Patton and Logan were sharing, neither of them noticing him. The Marauders did, and he signalled to them to not say anything.

‘So, it basically allows us to see the whereabouts of anyone in the castle.’

‘That’s incredib- ’

‘BAH!’

‘AH!’

Patton let out a scream as Roman called out, while Logan flinched, causing him to throw the spoonful of Crofters he’d about to eat on to his face.

‘Are you fucking kidding me, Roman?!’ he growled.

‘It was too tempting!’ the other boy smirked wickedly as Virgil snorted with laughter.

‘Quality pranking! I think it’s safe to say that the Marauders and the Sanders have officially joined forces!’ James grinned, holding a hand out to Roman, who shook it.

‘Does anyone have a tissue?’ Logan asked. ‘I’d quite like to get the jam off my face.’

‘I got it!’ Patton got up and ran back to the small kitchen and pulled a bunch of napkins from the bag of snacks. He skipped back and plopped back onto the sofa, wiping Logan’s face with one of them.

‘Thank you, Pat- Morality. At least someone here has an ounce of decency.’ Logan sent a glare at Roman.

‘Come on, Logic, you know you love me really,’ Roman smirked, causing Logan to roll his eyes.

‘It’s impossible for me to, Princey. You know I’m aromantic and asexual.’

‘You’re what?’ Peter asked.

‘Aromantic and asexual,’ Logan responded. ‘Do you not know what that means?’

James, Sirius and Peter all shook their heads. Remus looked uneasy before speaking up.

‘They wouldn’t. Not those labels or any of the other parts of the LGBTQ+ community,’ he explained.

‘What?!’ Roman gasped. He turned to the other three Marauders. ‘You have to know something! Gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, transgender, non-binary, agender, genderfluid, anything?!’

Again, the three of them shook their heads.

‘I can explain,’ Remus sighed. ‘When it comes to the English and American governments, the wizarding ones are like the opposite of the muggle ones. In the muggle world, we legalised gay marriage first and being part of the LGBTQ+ community was socially acceptable in England before America. However, in the wizarding world, it’s acceptable in America, but not in England.’

‘Why not?’ Patton asked.

‘Well, the Ministry of Magic has been focussing so much on dealing with blood purism and the discrimination of muggle-borns, that they haven’t really addressed the LGBTQ+ community. This means that most wizards and witches see it as strange and unnatural. Most young wizards and witches grow up without knowing anything about it, like these three. I’m kind of lucky to be a half-blood, my mum told me all about it. If it weren’t for her, I might have never realised I’m- ’

Remus froze, covering his mouth.

‘You’re what?’ Sirius asked. ‘I’m really confused right now...’

‘Me too,’ James nodded.

‘Me three,’ Peter agreed.

Meanwhile, Patton had gotten up and taken a seat next to Remus.

‘It’s okay,’ he reassured, placing a hand on the scarred boy’s shoulder. ‘You can come out and say it.’

‘As much as I hate the fact he used a pun,’ Logan narrowed his eyes at Patton before turning back to Remus, ‘he’s right. We won’t judge you. Last time I checked, all four of us are part of the LGBTQ+ community.’

‘Literal King of Gay, right here!’ Roman announced, posing in his armchair.

‘You can call me Pan-ton!’ Patton grinned.

‘As I’ve already said, aromantic and asexual,’ Logan repeated.

‘I’m questioning,’ Virgil finished. ‘Still trying to work stuff out. However, I think I lean more towards dick than tits.’

‘VIRGIL!’ Patton gasped. ‘Couldn’t you have phrased that differently?!’

‘Hey, it got the point across,’ the emo shrugged.

‘Okay... I’m even more confused now,’ Peter spoke up.

‘I know you four won’t judge me,’ Remus told the Sanders. ‘It’s these three that are the problem. I have no idea how they’re gonna take it.’

‘How we’re going to take what?!’ Sirius yelled, desperate for answers.

Roman sighed before starting to explain. ‘You know how men and woman fall in love, right?’

The three pureblood Marauders nodded.

‘What if I told you men could fall in love with other men? That’s what being gay is. When a man is sexually attracted to other males,’ Roman explained. ‘I, myself, am gay. Woman can also fall in love with other women, which is known as being a lesbian. If a person is both attracted to men and women, they are bisexual. If someone loves a person for only their personality, and it doesn’t matter what their gender identity is, they are pansexual.’

‘Like me!’ Patton smiled.

‘People who do not want sexual relationships are asexual, and people who do not desire romantic relationships of any sort are aromantic.’

‘Of which I am both,’ Logan cut in.

‘But sexuality isn’t the only thing that falls under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. There’s also gender identity. If a person is born as a male but feels more like a female and wishes to identify as such, or the other way around, they are transgender. People can even have surgery to change their gender. Then there’s non-binary people, a category of people who don’t assign to a particular gender. There’s neutrois and agender people and, who feel that neither of the labels “male” or “female” work for them, so they associate with neither, using them/their pronouns. Bigender people identify as both male and female. And there’s genderfluid people, who can identify as different genders. It’s like a dynamic mix of male and female.

‘But that’s just the basics. Gender identity and sexuality is a wide spectrum, and there’s a wide range of labels. That way, there’s one for almost everyone. No one has to feel alone or alienated or different, because they know there’s a whole community of people like them.’

Roman finished his speech. The three pureblood Marauders all looked as if their minds had been blown.

‘That’s a lot of new information to take in...’ Sirius sighed.

‘And, Moony, you’re part of this... what was it, LGBTQ+ community?’ James asked.

‘Yeah...’ Remus nodded, voice shaking nervously. ‘I-I’m... Oh Merlin, this is hard...’ He took a deep breath. ‘I am bisexual.’

‘So... you like guys... and girls?’ Sirius asked. Remus nodded.

‘But isn’t that kinda... y’know...’ Peter trailed off.

‘Kind of what?’ Roman inquired, tone harsh.

‘...Weird? Unnatural?’

Peter immediately regretted his words. Roman was glaring at his with the wrath of a dragon who hadn’t been fed for two weeks. Logan was also glaring, though his was less of an intense, fiery stare, but a cold, biting one. Patton didn’t look mad, just disappointed. Virgil’s breathing had picked up pace, and he looked like a cross of scared and pissed. Remus looked close to tears, shaking.

‘Wormtail, what the hell?!’ James yelled. ‘Didn’t you hear anything Princey said? There’s loads of people in these groups, a whole community! And five of our own are part of it. We will not tolerate that sort of prejudice! If they accept it in the muggle world, so do we.’

‘I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean... I don’t...’ Peter started stuttering, unable to get out a proper apology.

‘Look,’ Patton spoke up. ‘How about we all head back to our dorms and get some rest? Start afresh in the morning?’

‘Sounds good,’ Sirius nodded. ‘Moony?’

Remus nodded, not saying a word.

The eight got up and started to prepare to leave, Patton packing up all the uneaten snacks. Sirius checked the map as James got the invisibility cloak ready.

‘Morality, you’re clear,’ Sirius said, looking over the large unfolded parchment in his hands. ‘Logic, Filch is on a staircase that’s on the path to the Ravenclaw common room. However, there’s a handy little secret passage behind the portrait of Markov the Methodical that leads to right outside the Ravenclaw common room.’

‘And us?’ Virgil asked.

‘We’re clear. And we’ve got the cloak just in case.’

‘Well, it was nice getting to know you all,’ Patton smiled. ‘Night!’

Both he and Logan turned and left the Room of Requirement.

‘Come on. Let’s go,’ James sighed, pulling the invisibility cloak over the remaining six of them before they all left the room to head back to the dorm.

*     *      *      *      *

They took turns in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. With it being so late, they all fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. Well, except two. One because he felt betrayed, and the other because guilt wouldn’t stop eating at him.

‘Moony... I’m sorry,’ Peter whispered.

Remus didn’t respond. He just turned over and closed his eyes, trying to hide his tears.


	3. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first day of classes.

The next morning, James, Sirius, Roman and Virgil tried their best to diffuse the tension filling the dorm as they got ready for classes. However, the silence between Remus and Peter could not be ignored. It hung over them all like the room had been bewitched. When they finally left to head to breakfast, it was a relief.

As they entered the Great Hall, their eyes wandered to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Logan looked up from his book an gave them a small nod. Patton, on the other hand, stood up from his seat and gave them a large wave. ‘MORNING! SLEEP WELL?’

‘Just fine, Morality!’ Roman called back as the six Gryffindors took their seats.

‘Good morning, Minnie! So nice to see you again after the holidays,’ Sirius plastered on a large, faux-innocent smile as the deputy headmistress came up to them.

‘I see you four have some new recruits.’ McGonagall turned to Roman and Virgil. ‘You’d better not be troublemakers like this lot.’

‘Can’t promise anything.’ Roman gave McGonagall a shit-eating grin.

The professor pursed her lips. ‘Here are your timetables for the year.’

‘What selective subjects did you two choose?’ James asked as McGonagall walked off down the table.

‘Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies,’ Roman replied.

‘I chose the same, because I didn’t want to be alone,’ Virgil replied. ‘Plus, Deceit took Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Too bad Logic took those two as well, so they’re stuck together.’

‘What about Morality?’ Peter inquired.

‘Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes,’ Virgil responded. ‘He wanted to spend time with all of us. Anyway, he already knows a lot about muggles since he’s a muggle-born, so he didn’t need to take Muggle Studies. So, what’ve we got?’

‘Double Herbology first with the Ravenclaws,’ Remus said, looking over his timetable. ‘Then Charms with the Hufflepuffs. Finally, History of Magic with the Slytherins.’

‘You know, I was thinking that maybe, to celebrate the launch of the drama club, we could have a party in the Gryffindor Common Room,’ Roman proposed.

‘Brilliant idea!’ Sirius grinned. ‘Prongs and I’ll get the snacks and drinks from the kitchens between History of  Magic and dinner.’

The six of them finished breakfast before heading back up to the dorm, gathering their things for Herbology. As they gathered their stuff in silence, Sirius let out an annoyed huff.

‘Right. I’ve had enough of this. Wormtail, you fucked up. You fucked up big time. Moony, we all accept you for who you are, even Peter. He acknowledges his mistake and is sorry. Now will you both please stop being salty and make up already!’

Remus bit his lip, looking at Peter, who was staring at the ground. There was a moment of silence.

‘I really am sorry, Moony...’

Remus sighed. ‘I forgive you, Wormtail.’

‘Finally! The tension was killing me...’ Roman sighed.

‘Thank you, Sirius Black, oh wonderous peacemaker!’ James praised overdramatically.

‘Peacemaker? Not sure that title works for me,’ Sirius shook his head. ‘Speaking of which, I heard Zonko’s is coming out with a new product.’

‘What is it?’ Remus asked.

‘It’s a sweet that forces you to turn anything negative you say into a compliment! Just imagine giving those to, say, Mulciber and Avery. Every time they try to pick on someone, it’ll go like “You should start running... for Minister for Magic because I’d support you no matter what!” It’ll be awesome.’

‘I’m so getting them. What are they called?’ James asked.

‘Misleading Compliment Marshmallows, I think.’

‘Giving those to Deceit would be amazing...’ Roman grinned. ‘What do you think, Virge?’

‘Do you want to die a slow and painful death? If so, be my guest,’ Virgil replied. ‘I think we should avoid any pranks aimed directly at Deceit.’

‘Anxiety, if you’re with the Marauders, you’re gonna need to learn that risking death is a daily thing for us,’ James explained, clasping his hand on the emo’s shoulder.

Virgil just blinked up at him. ‘My nickname’s literally Anxiety, do you think that’s easy for me?’

‘We should get going,’ Remus cut the conversation short. ‘We don’t want to be late to our first lesson of the year. Just like last year...’

James folded his arms. ‘It’s not my fault I got stuck in the doorway...’

This prompted a snort from Virgil and Roman to burst out in laughter. ‘Stuck in a doorway?!’

‘It’s a long story,’ James replied. ‘But I assure you, it had a totally valid reason.’

 ‘A totally valid and stupid reason,’ Sirius corrected. He then proceeded to have to dodge a hex from James’ wand. However, this caused it to instead hit Remus.

The boy let out a yelp, before glaring at James. ‘What did you do?!’

‘Oh my gosh...’ Roman chuckled, a hand covering his mouth, trying to hide his laughter.

Remus sighed. ‘What is it?’ Peter pointed at Remus’ backside. ‘Oh dear god... James Potter, whatever you did, you will pay for it.’ Remus peeked over his shoulder to see a fluffy silver tail swishing behind him.

‘I found the hex in a book in my parent’s library,’ James explained. ‘Tail-growing hex.’

Remus’ eyes narrowed at him. ‘What’s the counter-curse?’

‘I... don’t know. I only had time to memorise the hex itself. Sorry, Moony... It was meant for Pads.’

‘I don’t think excuses are gonna save you now, Prongs,’ Virgil grinned between chuckles.

Remus growled, which just made Roman and Virgil laugh more. James, however, looked terrified.

‘GOTTA GO!’ he sprinted from the room.

‘I’m sure we can find out how to turn you back, Moony,’ Sirius reassured, wrapping an arm around Remus’ shoulders.

Remus just grumbled. ‘Whatever. Let’s get to lessons, we don’t have time to deal with this yet.’

-

_The bus ride to the Murphys’ house takes forty minutes. In a car, it would take half that, but-_

Logan looked up from his book when someone suddenly something invisible brushed past him. It took him a moment to realise what it potentially was.

‘Prongs?’

James’ head appeared as he pulled down his hood. ‘Hey, Logic. How you doing?’

‘Good... Any reason you’re hiding?’

‘Because I’m pretty sure Moony wants to kill me.’ He paused, looking down at what Logan assumed to be the Marauders Map under the cloak. ‘Oh, shoot, more students are coming. Looks like I gotta give up the disguise, can’t let anyone else discover the cloak.’ James pulled it off of him before stuffing it in his bag, followed by the map. As he had said, other students in their class started coming towards the greenhouses, including the rest of the Marauders, Roman and Virgil.

‘Oh... I’m guessing that’s why Remus wants to kill you?’ Logan asked, receiving a nod from James.

Remus glared daggers at James as he approached, tail flicking angrily. ‘I’m not doing the research to turn this back. You got me into this mess, you’re getting me out of it.’ He grabbed James’ tie, pulling him down to his height. ‘And if you don’t, you will find yourself in the hospital wing.’

James nodded. ‘I promise, Moony. I’ll look over lunch, I promise.’

Remus nodded, letting go. ‘Good.’

Remus’ threatening demeanour started dropping, however, as more students arrived at the greenhouses, and eyes were on him and his tail. He turned and buried his face in the nearest shoulder, which was Logan’s. The Ravenclaw stiffened at the sudden contact, basically giving the others a look that screamed ‘Help’. Sirius nodded and stepped forward, shifting Remus so his face was hiding in his chest instead.

‘Thanks,’ Logan nodded. ‘I’m not exactly good with... contact and emotions and things...’

‘No problem,’ Sirius replied.

The door of the greenhouses opened, and Professor Sprout appeared in the doorway. ‘Come on in everyone.’

-

After Herbology, James, Remus and Logan were all in the library. James was frantically looking for a reversal spell for Remus’ tail, while the other two were researching for the Narrating Peoples’ Lives prank.

‘May I inquire why Prongs gave you the tail?’ Logan asked as he took notes from one of the books open in front of him.

‘He meant to hit Padfoot, who was annoying him at the time,’ Remus responded. ‘I just hope he finds out how to reverse it before tonight. I’d rather not have it while we’re doing the drama club announcement.’

‘Understandable.’

A couple more minutes of silence went by.

‘How are things with you and Peter after yesterday?’

Remus shrugged. ‘Sirius got us to make up this morning, but... I dunno, it’s not just the kind of thing you can just forget. It’s the first time anyone’s been biphobic towards me. And for it to come from one of my best friends was probably the worst way to get it.’ He sighed, closing the book he was looking through and grabbing another. ‘I’m glad you guys are the only ones I’m out to. I couldn’t imagine getting that from everyone.’

‘Aren’t you out to your parents?’ Logan got a head shake in response. He then continued. ‘I’m not out to mine either. And as it stands, I won’t ever be...’

Remus’ eyebrows furrowed. ‘Why not?’

‘My parents are no-majes,’ Logan replied. ‘Heavily Catholic no-majes. They didn’t take kindly to me being atheist, and then started believing I was the spawn of Satan when I was revealed to be a wizard. You know, witches being in cahoots with the devil in folklore and all that. I imagine coming out as part of the LGBTQ+ community would not improve my reputation with them.’

‘The spawn of Satan?!’ Remus’ eyes were wide. ‘And you have to spend every summer and Christmas with them?’

Logan shook his head. ‘Patton lets me stay around his during Christmas break. He does the same for the majority of the summer, save the couple of weeks he and his father go on vacation together. So all in all, I only have to endure time with my blood relatives for around two or three weeks a year.’ He noticed Remus raising an eyebrow. ‘I don’t like to call them my family. Blood relatives seems more appropriate.’

Remus nodded, muttering. ‘And I thought my home life was rough...’

‘Hm?’

‘Oh, uh...’ Remus bit his lip. ‘Well, my whole family used to be close when I little. But when I turned five, there was an... incident. It hurt me pretty badly. My dad blamed himself for the whole thing, and started burying himself in his work more and more to distract himself from it. I don’t see him much thanks to school and him spending so much time at the ministry. He works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures: Beast Division.’

Logan nodded along with him. ‘Well, that’s another thing we have in common: nerds of the group, responsible ones of the group, a both have a natural craving for a sweet food item beginning with the letter C, and both have at least one parents who is shit.’

Remus chuckled. ‘I wouldn’t say my dad’s completely shit... but he definitely could be better.’

‘MOONY!’ James ran from between the shelves, being shushed by Madame Pince at his yell. ‘I found the counter curse.’

‘Took your time.’ Remus stood, turning his back to James. James raised his wand, aiming it at the tail before reading the enchantment in the book aloud. Remus silently begged that James hadn’t messed up and made it even worse. He looked around to see the tail gone.

‘There! I told you I could fix it.’

‘You’re lucky. I was ready to use a jinx to remove all the bones in one of your legs,’ Remus replied.

James laughed. ‘Good one, Moony.’

‘Who said I was joking?’

Logan chuckled a little at the look on James’ face after this comment.

‘Come on, we should get to Charms.’ Remus picked up his bag and notes before heading off, Logan just behind. James hesitated before following too.

‘Wish me luck in Potions with the Slytherins...’ Logan sighed before he headed off towards the dungeons.

Remus and James soon met up with the other Gryffindors and Patton outside the Charms classroom.

‘How’d the research go?’ Roman asked.

‘Well, my tail’s gone, so that bit went well,’ Remus replied. ‘Logan and I need to look a bit more into the Narrating Peoples’ Lives prank, though. We’ll keep looking tomorrow.’

‘Oh, it’s gonna be so great!’ Sirius grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. ‘Just all the Slytherins going around and complaining about voices in their heads, and everyone thinking they’re crazy.’

‘Are we sure we should do this?’ Patton spoke up. ‘What if the voices start to actually make them go crazy?’

‘It should only last for an hour or so, not long enough to make them insane,’ Remus replied. ‘It’ll be fine, Patton, trust us.’

Patton looked unsure, but nodded none the less. As he did so, the door of the Charms classroom opened and Professor Flitwick called everyone in.

-

Roman practically demolished all the food on his plate when dinner rolled around, eating it as fast as he could and encouraging the others to do the same. As soon as he finished, he checked the staff table. Upon seeing that Dumbledore was sat there in the centre of it, he grinned, leapt to his feet and ran up to the table, talking to the headmaster.

‘Oh boy, here we go...’ Remus sighed before quickly finishing his slice of chocolate fudge cake.

‘Are you not hyped, Moony?’ Sirius asked, leaning forward, elbows on the table.

‘No,’ was the answer he got, not just from Remus, but Virgil as well, who continued. ‘At least you guys don’t have to wear a skirt...’

‘It’s not too bad! I like wearing skirts!’

Patton and Logan had both come over, having gotten up from their tables when they saw Roman get to his own feet.

‘I must agree, wearing skirts is actually very comfortable,’ Logan added. ‘I can’t see the logic behind gendered clothing, especially given both dresses, high heels and other stereotypically feminine clothing items were actually traditionally worn by males.’

Virgil was about to respond, when the chatter of other students in the hall died out. They were all looking in curiosity at the front of the hall, where the teachers had cleared, and McGonagall was transfiguring the table into a stage. Roman was stood beside the stage, the ‘wings’ apparently, gesturing for the other seven in their makeshift cast to come over. They all got to their feet and headed to the front, going up to Roman.

‘Okay, we’re almost ready!’ Roman grinned, pulling out his wand. He waved it at each of the others in turn, changing their outfits to their costumes. ‘I’ll change into mine after the announcement. You guys wait here.’ He turned and ran onto the stage, clearing his throat and gaining the attention of the students in the hall.

‘Hello! My name’s Roman Sanders, one of the American transfer students. Now, I’m here to announce something very exciting. Back at Ilvermorny, I started a drama club. Every year, we’d cast, rehearse and perform a different musical. Our parents, the teachers and other students would all come and watch, and it was some of the most fun we’d ever had at school. Since, it was so popular and enjoyable, I’ve decided to bring it here!’

There were a few mutters and whispers of intrigue through the hall before Roman continued.

‘We will be performing a musical called Be More Chill, about a kid called Jeremy who just wants to be cool and get the girl of his dreams. To do so, he gets a SQUIP, a pill sized supercomputer that tells him what to do. The musical tells the story of how his life changes with the SQUIP, for better and for worse. Auditions will be in two weeks. For it, you need to rehearse a song, any song at all, and simply sing it. Then you will be asked to read a scene from Be More Chill. That’s all. So, if you are interested in auditioning, or want to be part of the backstage crew, be here after lessons in two weeks. And, if you are unsure about whether you wish to try out, I have a few friends here to help me show you what you’re missing.’

The others all came onto stage. They took their starting positions while Roman changed into his costume. Virgil came front centre stage, took a shaky breath at everyone’s eyes being on him, before stating the opening line.

‘September 1st, 1989. Dear diary.’

-

Later, in the Gryffindor common room, students were gathered, music was booming, alcohol was being passed, and snacks had been snuck in from the kitchen. The party was full force.

Originally, Remus, Peter, Logan and Patton were all not going to drink. Someone needed to stay sober to make sure no one did anything stupid.

While Logan and Patton managed to keep their promises to themselves, Remus and Peter, not so much. Pretty soon, they were as drunk as the rest.

Just as it turned midnight, Remus and Sirius were both sat on the sofa, chatting about random stuff, which eventually turned to sexuality.

‘You know... I think I might be, uh, what’s Patton again?’ Sirius asked.

‘Pansexual.’

‘Yeah. I mean, I know I’ve gone out with a few girls, but I’ve thought about guys before too. I don’t really think I care about gender that much.’

‘Well, good for you, mate,’ Remus replied. ‘Just don’t tell Peter, he’ll say something panphobic, then insist he didn’t mean it.’ He took a sip from his beer. ‘You know, he’s a fucking dick! I can’t control what I am and who I’m into! I wish there was a way I could just stick it to him without being a dick because, you know, he’s still my friend. There’s gotta be a way...’

His eyes wandered the room, before an idea popped to mind. He leapt to his feet and ran across the room. ‘Roman!’

‘Yes?’

‘You’re perfectly comfortable with your sexuality and showing it off, right?’

‘Well, of course! When I first dyed my hair, I wanted to go full rainbow to show off, but Virgil convinced me to stick with red.’

‘Great.’ Remus took his hand and pulled him along with him. He stood onto the coffee table, Roman next to him. He called out. ‘Hey, everyone, attention please!’

Everyone in the room quietened down, looking up at Remus.

‘This is a message to a friend of mine to say, I don’t give a fuck about what you said yesterday, I am who I am and nothing can change that!’

Remus turned, grabbed Roman by the collar, and pressed their lips together.


End file.
